“A vertical world of gleaming limestone cliffs and hidden coves, of romantic corners and blue horizons, a world where boats outnumber cars and stairs serve in place of cars.”
The main towns of the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast:
Capri, Ischia, Procida, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Salerno.
The Almafi Coast is the most spectacular stretch of coastline in Italy and, indeed, one of the most entrancing in all of Europe. The heady mix of stunning scenery, legend and romance has been seducing visitors since Roman times. The contrast couldn’t be greater between coast and city: just an hour down the road from the urban mayhem of central Naples and you’re in a different world.
There are two main entry points to the coast: to the west Sorrento and 50km further east Salerno. The former, a cliff-top resort whose charm has miraculously survived the onslaught of package tourism, is not actually on the Almafi Coast but on the northern side of the Sorrento Peninsula (the thin strip of that divides the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno). However, it’s only a short and spectacular drive away from pastel-hued Positano, the Almafi Coast’s smartest and most expensive town.
It’s also the nearest point to Capri, the most famous and fashionable of the bay’s three islands. A day trip mecca, Capri is an intriguing mix of luxury hotels, designer boutiques and unspoiled Mediterranean countryside. To the northwest, Ischia has long sold itself on its curative spa waters, lush gardens, and fine beaches, while a short ferry ride away Procida is the smallest and least developed of the islands. Although not totally free of tourism, its colourful fishing villages retain an authenticity that’s not always apparent elsewhere.
Back on the mainland, Amalfi is a pretty little town with a weighty history of maritime power and commerce. Today, however, its revenue comes mainly from the tourists disgorged daily from the ferries to idle around the Piazza del Duomo, wander the medieval streets and visit the extraordinary cathedral.
Perched above the coast is aloof Ravello, famed for its Wagnerian connection and grandiose villas. Finally, and by the way of the ceramic town of Vietri sul Mare, there is Salerno, a workaday port whose appeal lies in its lack of souvenir shops and vibrant centro storico (historic center).
